Why did Hugo Chavez spam Venezuelans on Christmas?
(Read article summary)Every Venezuelan received a holiday greeting from President Hugo Chavez on their mobile phone at Christmas. It was a very effective message, writes guest blogger Miguel Octavio.
Look at the message that most Venezuelans got on Christmas Day from Hugo Chavez (including me, I got it early on the 24th): “Each December, we have victoriously celebrated our unstoppable march towards the Good and Pretty Fatherland…Full of happiness, justice [sic], and social equality. Merry Christmas, partners (comrades?). Hugo Chavez."
People have noted that the message is abusive; it is after all spam, much like Chavez’ forced “cadenas” where everyone is forced to listen or turn the TV off since nothing else is on. There is also the question of who paid for it. Did Chavez force the message on the telecom operators? Is the list freely available to anyone like that? Is this a violation of privacy? A waste of resources?
We will never know. What we do know is that if this had been sent by an opposition politician, Chavez and the government would have made a ruckus over the issue.
IN PICTURES: Hugo Chavez the showman
